SoCo Chat Special- Reflections on 2017 Tubbs Fire and lessons to share in aftermath of LA firestorms

Today, we are bringing you a special segment of SoCo Chat, one focused on the fires that have been sweeping through parts of Los Angeles these past 10 days. To many of us here in Sonoma County, images of these fires have brought back many heart-breaking reminders of what we went through. These are hard memories. But they come with valuable and hard-earned lessons, which many of our local leaders, including the two we have with us today, have been asked to share with our counterparts in Southern California. We thought it would be timely to reflect on these lessons and remind our listeners – including those who are perhaps new to Sonoma County – what we can and should be doing to prepare for the next wildfire. Joining us are Jeff DuVall, director of the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management, and Pamela Van Halsema, Communications Program Specialist for Sonoma Water, who is joining us in her capacity as a survivor of the 2017 fire and a leader involved in the rebuilding of Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park Neighborhood.